Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo053&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, Violet-Blue flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo053’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1999 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands. The new variety named ‘Evipo053’ originatedas a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent primarily by flower color and growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant Violet-Blue flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for        container culture;    -   3. Improved disease resistance; and    -   4. Flowering from new growth.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo053’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 2000. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo053’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 2000. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo053’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo053’.Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages ofdevelopment, flower in parts, leaves, and stems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo053’, as observed inits growth in Yamhill County, Oregon. Observed plants were cultivatedfor a period of 24 months in 2 gallon containers. Certain phenotypicalcharacteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental,cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color referencesare made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) ColourChart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evipo030’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.15,991 issued Sep. 20, 2005 are compared to ‘Evipo053’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo053’ ‘Evipo030’ Flower diameter 70-80 mm 70-90 mm Tepalupper Violet-Blue Group Violet Group N88C surface 90B with lightintonations of Purple-Violet N80B Profile The upper portion is flat,Flat. while the lower portion retains a convex profile.

-   Flower and flower bud:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is            generally from late May to October.        -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 25 mm in length. Bud diameter is            12 mm. Bud form: Elliptic with a broad base. Bud color: At ¼            opening, Greyed-Purple N187A, with Greyed-Green Group 191B            at the base.        -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth, pubescent. Length: On            average 20 mm. Color: RHS N186A with light intonations of            Greyed-Green Group 191B. Strength: Moderately strong.        -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Pubescent. Shape: Broad funnel.            Size: 1 mm (h)×3 mm (w). Color: RHS N186A.        -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth at            the terminal bud and directly from axillary buds. Borne:            Singly.        -   Flower bloom.—Size: Flowers are 70-80 mm in diameter and 30            mm in depth. Profile: The upper portion is flat, while the            lower portion retains a convex profile. Orientation:            Outwards and upwards. Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality:            Flowers normally remain 15 days on the plant.        -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is            Violet-Blue Group 90A with light intonations of            Purple-Violet N80A. The lower surface is Violet-Blue Group            90A at the margins. Violet-Blue Group 90C adjacent to            margins. A central bar the color of Greyed-Purple Group            183C. After opening, the upper surface is Violet-Blue Group            90B with light intonations of Purple-Violet N80B. The lower            surface is Violet Group N88C with intonations of Violet            Group 86B at the margins. The underside has a central bar            the color of Purple Group N77D. Quantity: Normally 6 tepals.            Size: 40 mm in length by 20 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal            shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is acuminate. The tepal            base is typically acute. Apex Recurvature: None. Tepal Cross            section: Slightly cupped. Margins: Entire. Weak undulations            of margin observed. Persistence: Tepals adhere to the plant.        -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: 30 mm in diameter when            completely open. 10 mm deep. Pollen: Quantity: Average.            Color: Green-White Group 157D. Anthers: Size: 5 mm in            length. Color: Green-White Group 157D. Quantity: On            average, 35. Filaments: Color: Purple Group N79A to with            intonations of Violet Group 84D as the flower ages. Length:            7 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 15. Stigmas:            Purple-Violet Group N80D. Styles: Color: Green-White Group            157 D. Length: 10 mm.        -   Seed head characteristics.—None observed.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant form.—Spreading.        -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Size.—Seasons growth attains approximately 70 cm in height.            Average spread is 70 cm.        -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144C.            Mature stems are Brown Group 200A. Internodes: On average,            45 mm between nodes. Length: Normally 20 cm from the base of            the plant to the flowering portion of the stem. Diameter:            Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are smooth and ribbed.        -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:            Simple, opposite. Leaf Size: Leaflets are normally 50 mm            from the base to apex, and 30 mm wide.        -   Abundance.—On average 6 leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf            Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 146A. Juvenile            lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Mature upper Yellow-Green            Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Stipules:            Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 25 mm in length by 2 mm            diameter. Texture: Smooth and pubescent. Color: Yellow-Green            Group 146B. Leaflet Shape: Generally lanceolate. The base is            rounded. The apex is acute. Margin: Leaves with entire            margin, as well as tri-lobed occur on the plant. Surface:            The upper side is smooth and somewhat glossy. The lower side            is smooth and somewhat glossy. Thickness: Average.        -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally            attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to            clematis wilt than some clematis.        -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness            Zone 6.        -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable            for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture            Society heat zone 7.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo053’, substantially as described and illustrated herein, due toits abundant Violet-Blue flowers with good keepability, attractivefoliage, compact growth, suitability for production from softwoodcuttings in pots, which make the variety suitable for distribution inthe floral industry.